Barnaby Jones
| starring = Buddy Ebsen Lee Meriwether Mark Shera (1976–80) | country = United States | language = English | company = Woodruff Productions (1978-1980) (seasons 7-8) QM Productions | network = CBS | theme_music_composer = Jerry Goldsmith | first_aired = | last_aired = | num_seasons = 8 | num_episodes = 178 | list_episodes = List of Barnaby Jones episodes | related = Cannon }} Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as a father and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, California. The show was introduced as a midseason replacement on the CBS network and broadcast from 1973 to 1980. Halfway through the series run, Mark Shera was added to the cast as the cousin of Ebsen's character, who joins the firm. William Conrad guest-starred as Frank Cannon of Cannon on the first Barnaby Jones episode, "Requiem for a Son", and the 1975 two-part crossover episodes, "The Deadly Conspiracy". The series was produced by QM Productions (with Woodruff Productions in the final two seasons). It had the second longest QM series run (seven and a half seasons) following the nine years of The FBI. The series bore the Quinn Martin trademark where commercial breaks divided each episode into four "acts," concluding with an epilogue. The opening credits were narrated by Hank Simms. Plot After Barnaby Jones (Buddy Ebsen) had worked as a private eye for many years, he decided to retire and left the business to his son Hal. When Hal was murdered while working on a case, Barnaby came out of retirement to find the killer. After this case, his widowed daughter-in-law, Betty Jones (Lee Meriwether), went to work for him at the detective agency. Jones was unusual, ordering milk in restaurants and bars, counter to the stereotypical hard-drinking detective.[http://nostalgiacentral.com/television/drama/barnaby-jones/ Barnaby Jones] at Nostalgia Central Until the cancellation of Cannon, the characters of both series moved back and forth between the two shows. In 1976, the character of Jedediah Romano "J.R." Jones (Mark Shera), the son of Barnaby's cousin, joined the cast. He had come to try to solve the murder of his father but stayed around to help Barnaby and Betty, while also attending law school. As Ebsen aged and expressed an interest in slowing down a bit, Meriwether's and Shera's characters became more prominent, allowing Ebsen to reduce his role. During the last two seasons, episodes were divided evenly among the three actors, with Ebsen, Meriwether and Shera each being the focus of a third of the season's episodes. The show was canceled in 1980 due to declining ratings; Ebsen had also tired of playing the role.Etter, Jonathan. Quinn Martin, Producer. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, 2003. After the series' cancellation, reruns aired in syndication. Cast Main cast * Buddy Ebsen as Barnaby Jones * Lee Meriwether as Betty Jones * Mark Shera as J. R. * John Carter as Lt. John Biddle (recurring role) Guest stars Among the guest stars who appeared over the years were Conlan Carter and Gary Lockwood, who appeared together in the third episode of the series entitled "Sunday: Doomsday" on February 25, 1973. Other guests, just in the first year alone, included: * Claude Akins * Richard Anderson * Meredith Baxter * Carl Betz * Bill Bixby (Meriwether's real-life ex-classmate) * Geraldine Brooks * Richard Bull * Jack Cassidy * Dabney Coleman * Jackie Coogan * Glenn Corbett * Cathy Lee Crosby * Meg Foster * Robert Foxworth * Anne Francis * Lynda Day George * Richard Hatch * James Hong * Claudia Jennings * Lenore Kasdorf * Margot Kidder * Geoffrey Lewis * Ida Lupino * George Maharis * Nora Marlowe * Kenneth Mars * Roddy McDowall * Read Morgan * Leslie Nielsen * Nick Nolte * Don Porter * Stefanie Powers * Wayne Rogers * William Shatner * Joan Tompkins * Jessica Walter In later seasons, guest stars included Wayne Maunder, formerly on CBS's Lancer western series, and Ron Hayes, who played Sheriff Oscar Hamlin in the episode "Target for a Wedding." Marshall Colt, later cast with James Arness on McClain's Law, guest-starred in two episodes in 1979. Donald May played the role of Curt Phillips in the 1978 episode "Blind Jeopardy". Character actress Lurene Tuttle played Emily Carter in the 1980 episode "The Killin' Cousin". Many familiar actors made guest appearances, and others who were newcomers went on to become well-known, including: * Susan Dey * Gail Edwards * Shelley Fabares * Morgan Fairchild * Ed Flanders * Mark Goddard * Larry Hagman * Ed Harris * Linda Harrison * David Hedison * Don Johnson * Tommy Lee Jones * Don Keefer * Vera Miles * Patrick O'Neal * Sean Penn * Madeleine Stowe * Susan Sullivan * Daniel J. Travanti * Joan Van Ark * Carl Weathers * Robert Webber * Eve McVeagh * James Woods * Simon Scott Buddy Ebsen's real-life daughter, Bonnie Ebsen, and Lee Meriwether's real-life daughter, Kyle Aletter-Oldham, made cameo appearances in one episode. Future Trapper John, M.D. stars Pernell Roberts, Gregory Harrison, and Charles Siebert all made guest appearances on one episode. Future WKRP in Cincinnati stars Loni Anderson and Gary Sandy made guest appearances, as well. Episodes Reception Home media On February 16, 2010, CBS DVD (distributed by Paramount) released season one of Barnaby Jones on DVD in Region 1 for the first time.The Buddy Ebsen/Lee Meriwether Series is (Finally) Announced for DVD! The episode "The Murdering Class" has had the word "nigger" bleeped out when one of the characters speaks, although one can still hear the "n" sound of the word; because of this audio edit, the release was not called "The Complete First Season". The episodes on the DVD include their broadcast trailers. This edit also exists on the VEI release. As of September 2014, this release has been discontinued and is out of print.[http://dvdlist.kazart.com/queryDVDList2.php3?id=171790 Barnaby release] at Michael's Movie Mayhem On May 4, 2015, it was announced that Visual Entertainment had acquired the rights to the series in Region 1. It was subsequently announced that VEI would release Barnaby Jones- The Complete Collection on DVD on December 15, 2015.Possible Date for 'The Complete Collection: Limited Edition' The 45-disc set features all 179 episodes of the series as well as a bonus prequel episode. In other media Film During the mid-1990s, Meriwether and Shera expressed interest in a Barnaby Jones reunion television movie, but could not talk Ebsen into joining the project. However, in 1993, Ebsen reprised the role of Barnaby Jones in the film The Beverly Hillbillies, adapted from Ebsen's television series of the same name (Jim Varney played Jed Clampett, the role that Ebsen had played on the television series, in the film). It would be Ebsen's final theatrical appearance. Reruns September 3 2019...Reruns are available for viewing on Me-Tv See also * The Beverly Hillbillies * Matlock * Murder, She Wrote Notes External links * * * Absolute Barnaby * [http://www.actorbuddyebsen.info/bjones/ Barnaby Jones – Crime Drama TV Series of the Seventies] Category:CBS network shows Jones, Barnaby Category:Television shows set in Los Angeles Category:Television series by CBS Television Studios Category:1970s American crime television series Category:1980s American crime television series Category:1970s American mystery television series Category:1980s American mystery television series Category:1973 American television series debuts Category:1980 American television series endings Category:English-language television programs Category:American detective television series Category:Television_shows_set_in_California Category:Television series scored by Jerry Goldsmith Category:Television series scored by Laurence Rosenthal